1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector which is arranged by the combination of a housing for storing terminals therein and a front holder for detecting the complete insertion of the terminal to the housing.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 12 and 13 show the conventional connector disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2666795. This connector is formed by a housing 1 in which a terminal storage chamber 2 is formed and a J fixing member 3 which is attached to the front side of the housing 1
The terminal storage chamber 2 of the housing 1 is arranged to receive therein a terminal 5 connected to an electric wire 4 and is provided at the inner surface thereof with a come-out prevention projection 6. The come-out prevention projection 6 is arranged to engage with the terminal 5 thereby to fix the terminal 5 in a state of being prevented from being come out from the housing. The housing 1 is provided with a cylindrical portion 7 the inner portion of which forms the terminal storage chamber 2. The cylindrical portion 7 extends toward the front portion of the housing 1. The fixing member 3 is attached to the cylindrical portion 7. An elastic arm 7a having elasticity is partially formed at the cylindrical portion 7 and the aforesaid come-out prevention projection 6 is formed at the elastic arm 7a.
The fixing member 3 is arranged to have a cylindrical-shape with an inner diameter substantially same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 7. The fixing member moves along the cylindrical portion 7 from the front side of the housing 1, and attached to the cylindrical portion 7 in accordance with the sliding operation. As a result of the attachment, the fixing member 3 covers the front face of the terminal storage chamber 2. A pressing convex portion 8 is formed at the fixing member 3 in a manner that the pressing convex portion 8 presses the cylindrical portion 7 from the outer surface thereof so that the come-out prevention projection 6 formed at the cylindrical portion 7 is prevented from being bent outside. As a result, the come-out prevention projection 6 is prevented from being released from the engagement with the terminal 5 thereby to surely fix the terminal 5 to the housing 1. A reference numeral 9 depicts an elastic member provided between the housing 1 and the fixing member 3.
FIG. 12 shows a case where the fixing member 3 is located at a provisionally locking position. When the fixing member slides from this provisionally locking position along the cylindrical portion 7, the fixing member is located at a formally locking position shown in FIG. 13. When the fixing member is located at the formally locking position, since the fixing member 3 is made engaged with the housing 1 to each other by means of a not-shown engaging means, the fixing member 3 is attached to the housing 1.
According to such a structure of the conventional connector, in the case where the terminal 5 is inserted into the terminal storage chamber 2 incompletely, since the come-out prevention projection 6 is pushed up by the terminal 5, the elastic arm 7a of the cylindrical portion 7 protrudes outward. Thus, in this state, even if the fixing member 3 is tried to slide from the provisionally locking position to the formally locking position, since the pressing convex portion 8 abuts against the tip portion of the elastic arm 7a, the fixing member 3 can not be slid. Thus, the incomplete insertion state of the terminal 5 can be detected. In the case of detaching the terminal 5 from the housing 1, the fixing member 3 is drawn and slid to the provisionally locking position shown in FIG. 12, then the elastic arm 7a is bent outside by a drawing jig and the terminal 5 is drawn.
In the conventional connector shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the case of detaching the terminal 5 when the fixing member 3 locates at the provisionally locking position, the elastic arm 7a of the cylindrical portion 7 is bent outside. However, in this case, if an excessive stress is applied to the elastic arm 7a, the elastic arm 7a bends to the more extent than needed, there arises a problem that the elastic arm 7a may be subjected to the plastic deformation or broken.